Liz Strange Entices Us With the 'Dark Kiss Trilogy' and 'The Embrace of Life and Death'

Scribal Love Welcomes Liz Strange!

What is the name of your novel?


I actually have two vampire themed novels out at present. Born of Blood and Retribution it's the final novel of my Dark Kiss Trilogy, and The Embrace of Life and Death is an off-shoot of this series.


What first attracted you to writing vampire fiction?


 I love everything about it, especially those written in a darker, gothic tone. I am fascinated by the idea of immortality and how different individuals would embrace that gift, the possibilities are endless.


Who is/are your main character(s) and is he/she a vampire? 


The main characters, and vampires, in The Dark Kiss Trilogy are Rachel and Giovanni.


In The Embrace of Life and Death the main characters are Kieran, a vampire and Azrael, an angel. Kieran also happens to be Giovanni’ vampire progeny. 

How would you describe your vampire character?  Is he/she a lover or fighter?  Is the beast within held at bay?  Or does he/she go with her passions?


Giovanni is the ultimate “bad boy”, but he still hangs onto his ability to love and have feelings of compassion and loyalty. He has been haunted by the events surrounding his change for hundreds of years, but when he find Rachel he realizes the bigger truth of what and who he is. He is a lover and a fighter, fiercely protective of all he cares about.


What are your thoughts on some of the traditional weaknesses of vampires?  Sunlight, crosses, wooden stakes etc.  Did you incorporate any of that into your fiction?  If not what were some of the weaknesses that your character must avoid?


I follow along the traditional school of thought when it comes to vampires. Mine cannot go in the sun, never age/get sick, grow in strength with the length of their immortality, and are extremely difficult to kill. The only aspect I didn’t adhere to was the religious aspect, my vampires are not afraid of crosses/churches/religious objects.


Go crazy and tell us about your book!  Include an excerpt if you like!


Born of Blood and Retribution (Book 3 The Dark Kiss Trilogy)


The world’s first vampire has come calling – and she isn’t happy.


After the brutal showdown with the Demarais and the reunion with Giovanni, Rachel is looking for nothing more than some peace and quiet. Harshika, the world’s first vampire, has other ideas. She's not pleased with the immortal race as a whole, finding them weak and too “human”. When called before her, the immortals are given an ultimatum: Submit to Harshika as her subjects or die. Now Rachel and her old friends must join with new allies to discover Harshika’s weakness…hopefully in time to gain freedom for them all.


Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/Born-Blood-Retribution-ebook/dp/B005ETS2KM/ref=sr_1_8?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1312211625&sr=1-8


Born of Blood and Retribution:


Kieran is a hundred-and-twenty-year-old immortal, originally hailing from the harsh, famine-stricken life of 1880s Ireland. He has surpassed death and thrived, gaining wealth, power and knowledge. Azrael is the angel of death, but his mission is far from ominous. He is the protector of the grief-stricken, and the champion of lost souls. The two are polar opposites in mission and nature, yet are inexplicably drawn to one another. The Supreme One sees all, and when he discovers the truth about the relationship he is enraged. Their commitment to be together must be stronger than his determination to keep them apart.


Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/Embrace-Life-Death-Liz-Strange/dp/1608203506/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1312211625&sr=1-1


Readers can find out more about me at:


My website: www.lizstrange.com


Lyrical Press: http://www.lyricalpress.com/store/index.php?main_page=authors&authors_id=127&zenid=7iee3qsu0p6nu9ti5bbe8bjk64


MLR Press: http://www.mlrbooks.com/ShowAuthorBooks.php?list=_ABKLIST70&author=Liz!Strange


Twitter: www.Twitter.com/LizStrangeVamp

Paranormal Romance and Horror Fiction Author Liz Strange Discusses Her New Work, "Born of Blood and Retribution"

Scribal Love Welcomes Liz Strange!

Liz Strange is an author of paranormal romance, fantasy and horror fiction. Her newest work Born of Blood and Retribution (Book 3: The Dark Kiss Trilogy) will be available from Lyrical Press in 2011.

So where do you hail?  Where are you from?

I live in Kingston, Ontario where I was born and raised.

What inspired you to write this book?

 I was inspired by my love and fascination of vampires, and my search for some darker tales in the ‘paranormal romance’ genre. I am a huge horror enthusiast, and I love ancient history and mythology, which all play a part as the series unfolds.

Do you have a specific writing style?

I will say that I am on the darker end of the spectrum for the paranormal genre, but I don’t know that I can cleanly define my style.

What is the name of your latest book?  And how did you come up with the title?

I am working on the final book of my Dark Kiss Trilogy, entitled Born of Blood and Retribution. The title comes from the circumstances surrounding the making of the world’s first vampire.

What is Born of Blood and Retribution about?

It’s about the world’s first vampire and her disapproval of the current state of vampire kind. All the world’s immortals, including the characters readers have come to know and love from the fist two books, are summoned before her and given an ultimatum. It ties up loose ends, give more back story to some of the less-defined characters, and it gave me a chance to incorporate my love of world mythology.

What books have influenced your life most?

Oh, that’s so hard. Interview with the Vampire made a huge impact on me, as did The Picture of Dorian Grey and The Handmaid’s Tale.

Did you find the idea of having your work published for others to read intimidating?  If yes, why?  If no, why not? 

I did find it intimidating, it’s opening yourself up for scrutiny and disapproval. But it has also been very rewarding. I have been touched by the comments and direct correspondence from many of my readers. I understand that my books are not for everyone, and I’m ok with that.

If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?

Again, that’s so hard. I don’t think I can choose just one.

What books are you reading now?

I have not read anything new in so long. I’ve been busy working on edits and finishing three other projects. I just picked up the new Karin Slaughter and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I’m looking forward to reading both.

What are your current projects?

After Born of Blood and Retribution I have two other books coming out. The first, The Embrace of Life and Death is an erotic (m/m) fantasy/sci-fi story following the forbidden relationship between an angel and a vampire. It’s an offshoot of the Dark Kiss Trilogy as it involves a couple of the secondary characters from that series. The other is a light paranormal romance called Love Can be Dangerous to Your Health.

Do you find that international audiences are different from your home or native country's audience? 

I’ve seen a lot of interest and support from both Great Britain and Australia, which surprise and humbles me. I still find it amazing that someone who lives around the world from me knows who I am.

Do you see writing as a career?

Absolutely. I spend as much time on writing and writing-related activities as I do at the DDJ. It would be awesome to have writing as my only “job”.

If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?

I don’t think so. I’m very happy with how all three books in the series have turned out. I had a great critique partner and an awesome editor who was really on board with my vision.

Do you recall how your interest in writing originated?

My mom says I used to write before I could physically put pen to paper. I used to dictate stories to her.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

Finding enough time. I have full-time day job and four children, so time is precious.

Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it?

I learned how hard the process to getting your idea into a reader-acceptable format really is. It’s amazing all the work that goes into preparing a novel for publication.

Do you have any advice for other writers?

Don’t give up! It’s a hard business and there will be lots of rejection, but you only need one yes to make things happen.

Thanks Liz for Dropping by!

You can find Liz on the web at:

www.lizstrange.com

www.twitter.com/LizStrangeVamp